The Wineglass Held by the Duke's Daughter Whose Engagement Was Broken Off at the Graduation Party

"Oh, an email from Master Red Salmon. Looks like the locals got the better of him."

※One of the otherworld reincarnators who keeps getting reincarnated. See Chapter Two.

'This may be an odd time to ask, while you're casually exchanging emails with an otherworld reincarnator, but how does that work?'

"If we've formed a connection, our messages get through."

'I don't quite understand. I believe you used to call that person by a different name.'

"Spacious. I was surprised when our messages revealed that he was actually Master Red Salmon."

※See Chapter Seven and the beginning of Chapter Eight.

'I expect you'll be surprised a few more times yet.'

※Omitted, as there are all sorts of things.

"I got an email from Tanaka-san, too. They say they still haven't met their destined partner this time."

※One of the otherworld reincarnators who keeps getting reincarnated. They're looking for their destined partner, but they'll surely never meet.

'I often hear about people reincarnating in another world to find a spouse, but it's pretty rare to hear of someone who keeps reincarnating in other worlds to do the same.'

"Sataro still has me blocked. What a shame."

※One of the otherworld reincarnators who keeps getting reincarnated. See Chapter Three for their first appearance.

'That's probably the sensible thing to do. Though, Sataro...'

"Other than their obsession with the left side, they're not very memorable."

'And yet you still try to contact someone you think so little of.'

"You never know what might bring people together. First impressions matter when you don't have much time to live, but things are different if you're going to live a long time."

'Has your sense that you're human gone a little numb?'

"Anyway, a neighbor once told me that connections are important, so I try to cherish them."

※Someone from another work.

'Perhaps you've been too heavily influenced by your neighbor.'

"At first, they used to glare at me a lot, but once we got along, they were very kind and looked out for me in all sorts of ways. Never mind me—why don't you make some friends, Goddess-sama?"

'You make it sound as though I don't have any friends.'

"I've never seen any gods come by to hang out while I'm in this space."

'They don't come to hang out, but gods do occasionally come to protest or pick a fight. I send them home within three minutes, though.'

"A god like Ultraman, huh? Still, it takes quite a god to pick a fight with Goddess-sama."

'Most of them are the creators of the worlds you reincarnate into.'

"Oops. I shouldn't have asked."

'Gods are complete beings in their own right. We may compete with one another from time to time, but it's rare for us to make friends.'

"And that's what a perfected being looks like?"

'If I use my power suddenly, I can't hold back, so try not to provoke me.'

"Respawn. If you're going to blast someone away either way, what's the point of holding back?"

'You could vaporize someone with a hundred units of power, but I put about a hundred million into that last blow.'

"That was total overkill. If damage numbers had popped up over my head, it would've been pretty entertaining."

'I won't run out of power no matter how many times I blast you away, but I'd rather avoid wasting effort. Well, it's almost time for your reincarnation in another world.'

"I wonder what sort of connection I'll make this time... From Who?-san: 'The Wineglass Held by the Duke's Daughter Whose Engagement Was Broken Off at the Graduation Party.'"

'That's not a meeting—it's a parting.'

"The world's a harsh place. Still, I should be happy if I get to meet a girl, right?"

'Men who approach a woman who's been hurt with ulterior motives make me sick.'

"Harsh. Don't worry, I'm a wineglass, so you probably won't count me as a man."

'Is that really the issue? Actually, now that I think about it, maybe it is.'

"Just you wait. I'll show you what a graceful happy ending looks like."

'I'll keep my expectations at about fifty percent. Though I won't be watching.'

◇

'Hmm. I tried inviting another goddess to tea, but she didn't seem very pleased. Perhaps it was a mistake to drag her here by force, since I thought she wouldn't agree if I only asked.'

"I'm back. Oh, did you have a guest?"

'Yes. I brought over a goddess from another world, but she just trembled with tears in her eyes, so I sent her back a little while ago.'

"That goddess seems to have some communication issues."

'A gentle goddess doesn't seem to be what I need. It's tricky, though, since I'm not inviting them here to fight.'

"Maybe she'll get used to it if you ask her a few times."

'Do you think so? Well, if I feel like it, I'll bring her over again.'

"Then please let me join you next time."

'A goddess who turns people with lust in their hearts to ash. If that's what you want, I'll consider it.'

"Heh heh. That sounds exciting."

'It seems physical threats are useless on you, since you come back to life even if you die. You were the wineglass held by the duke's daughter whose engagement was broken off at the graduation party, right?'

"That's right. The duke's daughter in question was a tomboy named Temitoma, who attended a magic academy."

'A tomboy, is it? If a meek duke's daughter had been the one to get modified by you, it would've been a sight to behold.'

"She was quite the tomboy. She always took up any challenge from her fellow students, punished teachers without mercy if she thought they'd acted unfairly or displeased her, and regularly stormed other magic academies."

'That doesn't sound like a tomboy. She sounds like a delinquent.'

"She looked like a perfectly ordinary duke's daughter, at least. She had a shred of refinement."

'I'm not sure what to make of her having only a shred, but if she was that much of a tomboy, I can see why her engagement was called off.'

"Temitoma graduated without incident, and I thought she'd marry her betrothed, the heir to a noble family, and live a peaceful life. Then, at the graduation party, that heir broke off their engagement."

'I don't need to ask why, but I will anyway.'

"It turned out the heir was actually a woman."

'I'm glad I asked. Otherwise, the story wouldn't have added up later.'

"That noble family had no sons, so they'd raised their eldest daughter as a boy. But then the eldest daughter fell in love like any ordinary girl."

'That's a perfectly good reason to break off the engagement, but I can't fathom what their parents were thinking, betrothing two women to each other.'

"They figured it might work out since Temitoma was a tomboy, too."

'That family's heads must be screwed up—about as badly as a fallen noble's fortunes.'

"After her engagement was broken off and the people around her looked at her coldly, Temitoma slammed me onto the ground."

'Were you ready for that?'

"I reincarnated the moment her engagement was broken off."

'That sounds like a story that might end the moment it begins.'

"That's right. I bounced after she suddenly slammed me onto the ground and hit Temitoma right in the chin."

'Wineglasses are made of glass, aren't they? They're not made of the same stuff as super balls, are they?'

"They're made of glass. I was right to give myself a little elasticity as an option, just in case."

'Since you were reincarnated as a wineglass held by a woman whose engagement had just been broken off, there was a good chance you'd be dropped.'

"After she took the first critical hit of her life and fell to her knees, I said to her—"

'A critical hit, and you can talk, too?'

"'Don't act so small-minded by taking your anger out on things.'"

'That's rich, coming from a small glass.'

"The wineglass suddenly started talking, and Temitoma must've mistaken me for some kind of monster, because she attacked me."

'I suppose that would be natural in a fantasy world. Though I imagine it depends on the circumstances.'

"Well, I was only level one after just reincarnating, so I had a hard time beating her."

'You beat her? Even at level one, your combat skills are pretty high.'

"Everyone at the party fled, leaving only me, panting, and Temitoma, who'd been knocked out. That's where our friendship began."

'If you're going to trade punches, do it by a riverbank. Don't ruin the memories of a place meant for celebrating an anniversary.'

"As I gazed at the torn parts of Temitoma's clothes, I said, 'Don't get so upset just because your engagement was broken off. You've got some nice assets.'"

'Keep your ulterior motives to yourself.'

"And that's how I ended up helping Temitoma find a new fiancé."

'She must be a real musclehead to team up with the wineglass that beat her.'

"But it was difficult. People from the upper classes who could attend a magic academy usually got married after graduating, so everyone her age was already spoken for."

'She'd been betrothed herself, after all.'

"I suggested she ignore social class and consider a brave adventurer or a hardworking villager, but she replied, 'I don't like men who are all muscles.'"

'That's rich coming from a tomboyish musclehead.'

"That was the point when I was ruled out as a candidate."

'I think you were ruled out from the start.'

"I may not look it, but I had a rather beautiful body."

'I have no idea what a wineglass's beautiful body would be.'

"Skin as clear as glass."

'Because you're a glass.'

"A glossy body."

'Because you're a glass.'

"I may seem cool at first glance, but once we come together, both our hearts and bodies warm up at once."

'That must be because of the wine.'

"Anyway, I decided to simply support her. She's entertaining even just to watch."

'When it comes to women, you're forever going through puberty.'

"If we knew who she was interested in, we could come up with a strategy. But it's hard when it's someone unspecified, so we decided to consult Tanaka-san, who knows a lot about romance."

'He just happens to be there, as usual.'

"I assume Tanaka-san is in most worlds where women get to shine."

'Please consider my position. I'm going to have to be on guard for Tanaka's shadow from now on.'

"Tanaka-san said, 'A refined, intellectual man might be likely to avoid someone as tomboyish as Temitoma-san.'"

'That seems likely.'

"Then he said, 'So why not act even more tomboyish?'"

'Wasn't the idea to help her change?'

"Tanaka-san went on, 'Even if you try to change your nature, your true self will show through eventually. Rather than hiding it and living a stifled life, you should emphasize what makes you unique and look for a man who will accept you as you are.'"

'I hate that it's so logical.'

"I thought a half-hearted tomboy act might not catch the eye of her ideal man, so I decided to go on an adventure with Temitoma."

'I wouldn't call that a natural progression.'

"Temitoma had already trained at the magic academy, and with Tanaka-san's and my support, she quickly began to make a name for herself."

'With two otherworld reincarnators backing her up, she must've been unstoppable.'

"She defeated a bandit gang, overthrew a tyrannical king, and saved village after village and country after country from monsters. Temitoma's name gradually spread far and wide."

'I can already see where this is going: she'll defeat the Hero at the end.'

"Come on, even I don't repeat the same plot over and over."

'That's good to hear. It seems you've grown, too.'

"I defeated the Hero before we even took down the bandit gang."

'You made it worse.'

"Temitoma and I figured we'd need to defeat a Hero to make her look impressive, so we challenged him the very next day."

'What a bloodthirsty young lady. And she defeated a Hero, too.'

"That's right. Beating the Hero made Temitoma even more enthusiastic."

'I can't help feeling sorry for the Hero who got defeated.'

"Before long, rumors of the elegant duke's daughter who always carried a wineglass spread across the continent."

'Did she always carry you around?'

"Of course. We're buddies."

'You've been corrupted, too.'

"But even after her name became known all over the continent, no prince on a white horse came to take Temitoma away."

'That's an old-fashioned way of putting it.'

"It's what Temitoma dreams of."

'A romantic at heart, despite being such a tomboy.'

"We thought we'd go meet them ourselves, but all the princes in the various countries were so afraid of Temitoma that they fled in the night."

'She did defeat a Hero, after all.'

"By the way, the Hero had holed himself up in the village where he'd been born, telling a sage, 'A woman with a wineglass is coming after me,' and getting therapy."

'That's beyond pitiful.'

"We decided that the human realm wasn't working out and that we might as well look in the Demon Realm, so we headed there."

'Am I imagining it, or does this sound like it's going to end with you defeating the Demon King?'

"I did defeat her, yes. Pretty early on, too."

'I can't help feeling sorry for a Demon King who doesn't even get to be the climax.'

"But meeting the Demon King turned out to be a major event for Temitoma."

'Oh? From the sound of it, was the Demon King her ideal man?'

"No, the Demon King was a woman. She was voluptuous and full of maternal charm."

'I don't need to know about her voluptuous body.'

"The Demon King was strong, and Temitoma had a hard time, but she won. They became friends in the process."

'People really do become friends by trading punches in that world.'

"The Demon King was looking for a lover, too. She wondered aloud, 'Is there a small-animal type of man who seems like he needs looking after?'"

'That's a common preference for someone with maternal instincts, but people with those instincts don't usually say so themselves.'

"Since we had the chance, I introduced her to the Hero, who was trembling back in his village."

'How merciless.'

"It worked out surprisingly well."

'A male Hero and a female Demon King... Perhaps they were destined to get together all along.'

"The Demon King was grateful to Temitoma, so as thanks, she offered to introduce her to the dukes of the Demon Realm and their heirs."

'She's like a relative who arranges matchmaking meetings. But wouldn't people still be wary of a duke's daughter who defeated the Demon King?'

"Actually, in the Demon Realm, that made her seem even more appealing, and Temitoma was soon being proposed to by all sorts of demons."

'So it all comes down to perspective. Something that can cause conflict can also lead to things like this.'

"And that's how I ended up back here."

'Oh? I thought there might be more to the story.'

"Since she'd received marriage proposals, my role was basically over. Besides, from here on, it was time for Temitoma to make happy memories. The demons would get jealous if I stuck around."

'Putting aside your conceit, there was no need to stir things up.'

"Besides, otome-game-like developments are hard for me to handle."

'So that's your real reason. I'm not especially fond of that genre, either. Were you bad at it?'

"No, Temitoma was always carrying me around, so it started to feel like the demons' whispered words of love were meant for me. It was rough."

'You should've stayed another ten years and given me a detailed report.'

"They were such handsome men that even a man could've been swayed. It was rough."

'That's exactly what I want.'

"I left without telling her, but I'm sure she's doing fine."

'That's unusual. Didn't you say goodbye?'

"Given the circumstances and Temitoma's personality, if I made her choose between her best friend and her current life, she might've chosen her best friend."

'That's not conceit—you're right. I see. It sounds like you built a good friendship.'

"Anyway, I didn't have time to bring back a souvenir. Sorry."

'Your story is enough of a souvenir. Though, if I'm being honest, I would've liked something, too.'

"Oh, an email from Tanaka-san."

'Has Tanaka reached the end of their life, too?'

"No, it looks like they're still in that world. Oh dear, Temitoma's bawling her eyes out."

'Her best friend disappeared without warning, after all.'

"I can't go back now that my life has ended... Would it be all right if I sent her an email?"

'I suppose so. It's normally forbidden, but I'll let it slide once.'

◇

"Oh, a package from Tanaka-san just arrived."

'How does Tanaka know where this place is?'

"I don't think I ever gave them the address."

'There is no such thing as an address here.'

"What's inside... Wine."

'Well, since it's here, let's have some.'

"Then I'll quickly make something to go with it."

'Please do. Oh, there's a letter in here. It would be rude to open it without permission, but a letter from Tanaka sounds suspicious. I'll use my divine powers to take a look inside. Oh, this is a woman's handwriting.'

【You perverted glass, what do you mean, “I saw how happy you looked, and it made me want to see my beloved, so I'm going home. Take care”? Even if that's true, you could've at least said a proper goodbye. Do you have any idea how painful it was not even to be allowed to thank you?—】

'So your ulterior motives were obvious, and it seems you sent a ridiculous email. There are about ten pages of complaints, one after another.'

【—Go ahead and do whatever you want.　　　　　　　　　Thank you so much.　Temitoma】

'And then she says thank you in one sentence.'

"The snacks are ready. All right, let's pour some wine. Cheers!"

'I have no intention of toasting with you.'

"Oh, this is the wine that was poured when I met Temitoma."

'Can you tell the difference?'

"I added an option, just in case you might put your lips to the glass."

'Keep your ulterior motives in check, you perverted glass.'